8.
Cracking my eyes open, I felt a warm body pressed against my back and a rather large hand holding my boob. I was all for a little groping, but the fact that I needed to pee was hindering any other thought.
"Edward," I whispered, hoping to wake him up, or at least get him to disengage himself from my body.
Instead, he pulled me even closer to his chest and squeezed my tit while nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck.
"Edward," I whisper-yelled a little louder as I tried—unsuccessfully—to pull myself away from him.
His response was to mumble my name into my hair and press his dick against my ass.
"Not gonna happen, bucko," I groaned as I struggled, my bladder on the verge of exploding all over my bed.
Finally freeing myself, I pulled his discarded T-shirt over my head and padded my way down the hall, mindful not to make too much noise as I knew that Irina was most likely just falling asleep after a long night at the hospital.
"Hey there, sweet cheeks," Irina hollered from her bedroom door, nearly making me piss myself.
"Jesus, woman!" I screeched, holding my chest. "Don't do that." I took a deep calming breath, trying to lower my heart rate. "What is it with you people, always scaring me?"
"Nice shirt, Bella." She smirked, an eyebrow rose, waiting for me to say something.
"I have to pee." I quickly made my way to the bathroom and locked the door behind me, hoping she'd be asleep by the time I was done doing my business.
The sound of her giggles alerted me to the fact that would not happen.
"Crap," I sighed, resigned. I guessed this was the equivalent to the walk of shame, except I wasn't ashamed. In fact, I was feeling pretty damn happy and more than a little smug.
Once I'd washed my hands and ran a brush through my hair, not to mention flossed, brushed my teeth, cut my nails and checked if my pores were too big in the mirror, I opened the door and glared at a smiling Irina who'd been waiting for me right outside.
"What do you want to know?" I asked, defeated. "And no, I'm not giving you details."
She huffed. "Fine." She then smiled and pulled me into a hug, asking, "But it was good, right?"
The smile gracing my lips could not be contained. "Amazing."
"That's all I want for you, Bella." She pulled back and held my gaze. "Make sure he treats you right outside the bedroom too, yeah?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way." I beamed.
She kissed my cheek and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "Good. If you have to settle for anything less than the best—and by the best I mean me—I suppose he's a good second," she said cheekily just as a throat cleared down the hall.
"Sorry for interrupting, ladies." Edward smirked.
I gaped at him, standing there wearing only his black boxer-briefs. His hair was a rat's nest and the crooked smirk playing on his lips only served to make him look like he wasn't sorry at all for interrupting us.
Irina dropped her hands from my face and turned to face him, giving him an appreciative once-over, her own lips curling up mischievously.
"Hi," I whispered, biting my lip. "I didn't want to wake you."
"You didn't." He scratched his chest and ran a hand through his hair, stretching his arms over his head as his muscles flexed and undulated.
Jesus.
"I need to go to bed," Irina groaned. "Before all of that gets to be too much for my lady parts to handle."
I just nodded, keeping my eyes on Edward.
"Good night, Dr. Cullen," she said as she stepped past him, turning to give me two thumbs up in approval as she closed her bedroom door behind her.
"Well, that wasn't awkward," I mumbled. "You want breakfast, or something?"
Edward took a step toward me and pressed a chaste kiss to my forehead. "So Irina, huh?"
I flinched, my nose scrunching up. "Yeah."
"Should I be worried?" His eyes bore into mine and I gulped.
I shook my head. "No. She met someone and then I met you, so …"
He nodded. "Good ... I was serious, Bella. I like you too much to share you with anyone else. Even your hot girlfriend."
I smiled, a feeling of warmth washing over me. "I know, and it's mutual." I got on my toes and kissed his chin, the corner of his mouth and finally pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. "Shower with me?"
His answering groan, followed by his hands wrapped around my waist and hoisting me over his shoulder, as he walked us into the bathroom, were things I was going to have to get used to if we were going to live together.
Oh, what a life ...
…
"I'm going to have to take you out somewhere on a real date at some point," Edward said as he kissed the valley between my breasts.
I ran my fingers through his damp hair, my post-coital bliss still lingering around edges. "Nah, this is good; we're good."
It had been a week since we'd first slept together and aside from work, we hadn't ventured outside the house.
Not even to the bar or coffee shop.
If it weren't for Garrett helping Edward move his few meager possessions into my house, he and Kate probably would have worried about us.
He hoisted himself up on his forearms, his face hovering over mine, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I want to take you out, Bella. I want to show you off and I want every motherfucker out there to know you're mine."
A shiver ran down my spine at hearing him swear. He was usually so easy going and never swore except for the occasional "fuck."
I moved to run a hand up his back and over his jaw. He was so beautiful and I wondered how I'd gotten so lucky. "But I am yours, Edward. I don't need to be wined and dined to know how you feel about me and vice-versa." I tilted my head and kissed his bicep. "But if that's what you want, then fine. We can go to dinner somewhere, as long as we come home together."
His smile was huge as he leaned down and pulled my bottom lip between his teeth, sucking it lightly before letting go. "That's all I want."
"Ha!" I giggled. "Last night you wanted your name tattooed on my ass, buddy, so I'm pretty sure dinner isn't gonna be the last time your little possessive streak shines through."
"What can I say, Bella, when it comes to you, I want you all for myself." He bit my collarbone lightly, earning a groan from me. I'd discovered that Edward had a thing for marking me. I wondered if it was just because Irina was still here due to a mix up in her schedule, and he was marking his territory, or if it was something he did without even thinking. Either way, I liked it. A lot.
"Edward." I squirmed, feeling him harden against my inner thigh. For a man almost seven years older than me, he sure had an amazing recovery time. "Irina's leaving tomorrow. Then it'll be just us in this big old house and you'll have me all the time. Anywhere." I punctuated the last word by pulling his nipple between my teeth and biting it. Two could play at this biting fetish thing. Besides, he had to know I wasn't one for sharing either. He wasn't the only one who was a single child.
He pressed his forehead to mine as I felt him slip inside me. "I'm not sure how we're going to ever leave the house if we stay in bed," he breathed as his face contorted in pleasure.
I smirked. "You see why I don't need to go out on a date? We'd be missing out on all this." I kissed him softly, my tongue seeking his in a languid, lingering kiss.
My entire body felt alive as he moved inside me, our bodies meshing together in a tangled, blissful mess. My mind was adrift and unable to think of anything as my limbs tingled and my insides fluttered through my release.
It was always like this with him. Some weird out of body experience that left me wanting more and thankful to have had it in the first place. Never had I experienced anything remotely close to this intense connection we seemed to so naturally share.
"I love you," I whispered into his neck. "I love you and I don't even care if we never get out of bed." Clearly orgasms made me powerless against my running mouth, but he had to know how I felt. No matter how much I tried to show him, I wanted him to hear it from my lips.
It never even occurred to me that he wouldn't say it back because I felt it. I felt it in the way he looked at me and in the way he touched me.
But hearing, "I love you too, Bella," fall from his lips, was the best sound in the world. I hadn't heard anyone tell me that in a while. Not in the way he had said it. I remembered my mom and dad telling me they loved me and how proud they were of me, and my heart ached as that thought filtered through our moment.
Kate and Irina had told me they loved me, of course, and they meant it, but those words meant something entirely different and they weren't as profound as when they came from the man you wanted to bare your soul to and share a future with.
I hugged him close as we settled into bed, his arm draped over my hip as my head rested on his chest. Tears fell down my cheeks and onto his chest, and his fingers wiped them away as his eyes lingered over my face.
"I wish you could have met my parents," I told him, sniffling. "They would have loved you as much as I do."
He smiled sadly, as if he knew where my mind had drifted. His eyes never left mine as he said, "I promise to take care of you from now on, Bella. Whatever you need; whatever it takes, I'll be here."
I nodded and closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth and security he was providing. "That's all I want, Edward."
"But you're not getting out of a date with me," he replied, teasingly, getting me out of the sad place I had wandered.
I shook my head and giggled softly. "Damn, well it was worth a try. Good thing I love you anyway."
He kissed my hair and hugged me to his side whispering, "I love you, too."
...
Thinking of that day we'd spent in my bed, when we had said those three little words, only served to make my teeth rot. Edward and I were becoming one of those romance novel kind of couples. It was weird but exhilarating at the same time. I'd never had that with anyone and I loved it.
Irina kissed my cheek and made me promise to call her before she boarded her plane to New York. Of course, this was followed by a round of tears as I buried my face in Edward's chest. It was a good thing he'd come with me because I wasn't sure how I would have made it home safely.
Things at the hospital ebbed and flowed, as we found our routines and made new friendships as new doctors were brought on to replace the few that had left.
Life was an ever moving fragile cycle, and sometimes you had to let certain things go in order to find something even better.
"Mister Masen is in room one-oh-five," Alice whispered, her cheeks red.
I quirked an eyebrow. "Okay? Why are you all red and where's the cheeky Miss Alice I know and love?"
She cleared her throat and whispered, "Mr. Masen and I used to date in high school. A long, long time ago, dear."
I nodded. "And?" I wanted her to elaborate because this was not like her at all.
She pressed her lips into a thin line before looking around and coming closer to me. "He just moved back to the area and once his hip gets replaced, he said he was taking me out."
I giggled. Leave it to Alice to find an old flame in the hospital. "That sounds like fun, Alice."
She laughed then gave me a pointed look. "I know. Now, you better make sure that hip works correctly, if you know what I mean." She wiggled her eyebrows and I wanted to die.
My jaw dropped as I took in the implications of her words. "Oh, my God!" I covered my mouth with my hand and took the file from her. "You're just," I shook my head, "an incorrigible old woman!" I giggled and took a few steps back from a smirking and visibly happy Alice.
"Always will be, dear," she replied happily as I made my way toward her future lover. I shuddered slightly at the thought, but it was sweet nonetheless.
…
"What are you laughing at?" Edward asked as he handed me a cup of coffee after I'd just successfully completed Mr. Masen's hip surgery.
I shook my head and recounted my conversation with Alice as we made our way into the doctor's lounge.
Then it hit me, as we walked side by side, talking and laughing, that this was what I was meant to have in my life. I had friends around me that I loved wholeheartedly, a man that worshipped me and that I couldn't imagine living without, a roof over my head, and a job that I enjoyed.
I had everything I could ever want.
…
Still a few chapters left with these two. It's not over yet. Thank you all so much for coming along with me for this. It is a fun, fluffy, smutty ride with a few twists and turns, and we still have a few more things to explore with these two.
Midnight Cougar beta'd this. I have mad respect for the patience she has with my comma fail.
Joey and Mandi pre-read. They said there was some sad here, but the cute balanced it out. Good deal.